Association Of Catholic Bloggers

In my day, if I wanted to increase my tennis prowess, I would watch Chris Evert Lloyd’s moves on the court. When my mother cut my hair in the iconic ‘Dorothy Hamill’ pixie , my whole world revolved around the dream of being an Olympic skater. I watched her every skating competition, eager to pick up even the tiniest trick to hone my skills. For the record, my moves were ample for the make-believe Pond Capades but never truly worthy of the hairdo. Here is a sampling of what I have to learn from Jesus Expert, Mary ...   SEE them here All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

My biggest issue.  I want everything to be a PIECE OF CAKE - or a yummy gluten-free cupcake as my case may be. When I first opened the  Navigating Your Finances God's Way  small group study back on February 21st, my subconscious expectation was to have  all my financial woes  FIXED by time I reached Lesson 10!  Well, we are only on Lesson 8, and I can attest that many of our fiscal problems still exist.   We still live paycheck to paycheck, we still occasionally need a boost from our lone credit card to make our ends meet, I still do not have a steady stream of income, and our cars are still both on their last leg.   I paint such  a pretty picture every week  don't I!  Well, that comes from some years in marketing and others in human resources - you always give the negative 'strokes' before launching into the positive. IT will not be the quick fix ... READ MORE of how we are pulling ourselves out of debt All Rights Reserved, Allison Gingras 2016

St. Paul of the Cross lived in the 1700s. A time period presumably very different from our own. But it seems like wives and mothers of all ages have one thing in common: too much to do.  In 1760, a busy married woman wrote Paul of the Cross saying that she couldn’t find enough time to pray. Somehow, I think I, and probably many of you, could have written the same letter. Continue reading at Eyes On Heaven.

If you know me in real life, you know that praise and worship music isn’t my thing – unless it’s to get a little entertainment by making fun of it. Don't get me wrong - I know that many people enjoy that type of music, and I have no problem with that - it just isn't my own way of praising God. That “Fill up my cup…” song, though, has a point to it. Half the time, discussing whether the glass is half-full or half-empty is a moot point.  Often enough, by the end of a given day, week or month, there’s no question involved: I’m running on empty. Does that make me a pessimist? I hope not. I prefer to agree with the anonymous genius who said that the most important point isn’t how full your glass is,  but that it’s refillable. So on those days when you’ve run ragged trying to hold yourself together, give your kids the love and care they need, be a good spouse and do everything else we’re expected to do for one reason or another, don’t get discouraged.  Just make a little ti

How is your Lent going? Did you accidentally eat meat today? Did you give in and eat chocolate, drink coffee, or indulge in whatever else you promised to give up? Have you missed your prayer time, slept through daily Mass, or skipped your spiritual reading? Don't despair. This could still be your best Lent yet. Continue reading.

This is a post-script to my post about our son's 12th birthday. I'm writing this upstairs in  our bedroom. Downstairs are five 12-year-old boys, watching "Dawn of the Dead" and eating an inordinate amount of candy they bought at the local convenience store and at the Rite Aid downtown. What just happened moves me deeply. One of their friends, who has been my son's friend since preschool, just left. C. became deeply troubled by the movie. He called his parents on his cell and told them he wanted to go home. They were on a date and told him they would come home soon. Then C. headed up the stairs and knocked on my bedroom door. "There is no way I can sleep here tonight," he told me. "I am terrified."  His parents said to head home and they would be back in a few minutes. Read more...

Hello again! For reasons, many and sundry, I haven't had a chance to post here lately, but I am happy to be back. Here is an offering, hopefully to encourage you, as I reach out to God to encourage me! Blessings and Peace,   Kelly